HRC Blog

HRC Celebrates Sen. Tammy Baldwin During Women’s History Month

During Women’s History Month, the Human Rights Campaign is celebrating the work of our female endorsees, like Sen.Tammy Baldwin, who have been advocates for LGBT rights.

As Wisconsin’s first woman and our country’s first openly-gay non-incumbent ever elected to the House and first-ever openly gay Senator, Tammy Baldwin has been a trailblazer for progressive ideas. Her laser-like focus on serving the need so her constituents helped her win a seat in the United States Senate, As she said the night of her election victory, "Now, I am well aware that I will have the honor of being Wisconsin's first woman senator. And I am well aware that I will be the first openly gay member. But I didn't run to make history. I ran to make a difference."

When she was a Representative in the Wisconsin State Assembly, Baldwin successfully fought efforts to amend the Wisconsin constitution to ban marriage for same-sex couples. In Congress, she has been a strong advocate for a fairer, more just America by winning enactment of the Matthew Shepherd and James Byrd Hate Crimes Act and the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law, and defeating the Federal Marriage Amendment which would have prohibited same-sex marriage in every state.As we look back to celebrate the strides women have made in the LGBT movement, we look to Sen. Tammy Baldwin and our other female endorsees to continue to move us forward. Sen. Baldwin will be facing reelection in 2018.

Click here to donate to the female HRC endorsees facing elections this fall.